Samajwadi Party president Mulayam's 'free hand' to corrupt ministers: Siphon off money but do it carefully without tainting the party's image

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav has issued a new code of conduct for ministers in the Uttar Pradesh government - make money, siphon money, but don't hurt the image of the party and the government.

You can avail of luxuries, make some money, do a little bit of siphoning… But the sacrifice that youths have made in five years should not be maligned),' the SP chief told ministers and party leaders at Lohia Park in Lucknow on Friday.

Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav at the party's national executive meeting

He was addressing a party meet on the occasion of the 46th death anniversary of socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia. Mulayam's statement is a reconfirmation of the controversial suggestion made by his younger brother and state public works department minister Shivpal Singh Yadav to bureaucrats on August 9 this year.

'Agar mehnat karoge to thodi bahut chori kar sakte ho. Dakaiti nahi daloge (As long as you work hard and get things done, you can steal a little... But do not commit dacoity),' he had said at a meeting in Etah.

Although Shivpal had later clarified that he had made the remark in a lighter vein, he had also threatened some journalists that they would be sent to jail if they didn't stop highlighting his statements made in a closed-door meeting.

Mulayam and Shivpal's open support to corruption lends credence to BSP chief Mayawati's allegation that 'most of the officials in the state government are involved in corrupt practices'.

'It has become necessary to grease the palm of people in the government to get your work done. What is more pathetic is that a minister is asking the officers to steal,' she had said, hinting at Shivpal's remark.

Reacting to Mulayam's latest statement, BSP general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya said: 'The SP government is harassing former BSP ministers in the name of probing scams.

But even the SP chief is openly asking his ministers to indulge in corruption. However, he wants them to be careful about the image of his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.'

Kalraj Mishra, national vicepresident of the BJP, said: 'Such a statement from Mulayam on the occasion of Lohia's death anniversary proves that he is not a socialist.

He believes in making bad money from whatever source it comes.' 'Foodgrain scam and police recruitment scam were the two biggest acts of swindling witnessed during Mulayam's tenure as the SP chief, from 2003 to 2007.

No wonder he is again asking his ministers to become corrupt,' Mishra added.